Shield for light bulbs



. O AT ORNEY v I INVENTo I KJ BY'm I J F. V. HAYS, JR

SHIELD FOR LIGHT BULBS June 16, 1925.

Filed April 1e. 1924 Patented June 16, 1925.

UNITED STATES FRANK V. HAYS, JR., OF'WEST ORANGE, NEWv JERSEY.

SHIELD ron LIGHT BULBS. *Y

Application filed AprilI 16, 1924. Serial No. 706,841.

To all fwlwm 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK V. HAYS, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of West Orange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shields for Light Bulbs, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to a shield for light bulbs and while it is adapted for uses in various locations and installations, it is primarily adapted for the shielding of light bulbs in headlamps and to shield certain rays so that the roadway is illuminated but the upper field above the center of the lamp is not directly illuminated.

The invention is designed to provide a shield with an opening at one side, usually the top part and an opening at one end and adapted to be readily attached to and detached from an electric light bulb. The particular form of shield is one that can be cheaply manufactured, it has no movable parts and has its main portion made Aof a single sheet of metal. Furthermore, its con struction is such as to provide for engagement with the base and the top of the bulb so that the shield is securely held in place against rattle and vibration o-n the bulb.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a sec tion of a headlamp with the bulb and the .improved shield in elevation. Figure 2 is a front view of the shield on a bulb. Figure 3 is a back view of the shield on a bulb.

Figure f1 is a perspective view of the shield detached, this view being on 'a slightly smaller scale.

The bulb 10 is shown in the drawing as installed in a headlamp comprising a re-y liector 11. The bulb is secured in a'base 12 of any usual type and is usually detachable therefrom so that in this specification the base of the bulb designates the neck of the bulb and the socket in which it is inserted.

The shield comprises a trough-like member 13 with an open side 145 and in headlights this open side is usually placed uppermost so that the top is open to permit the rays 15 to pass to the upper half of the re- Hector to be reflected downward to the roadway well in advance of the vehicle. Across the top of the member at one end is a plate 16 which is disposed with its top edge above the sides of the'trough and with its bottom edge approximately at the center of the trough, preferably slightly below the center. The bottom edge ofl the plate 16 has a recess 17 which receives the small projecting tip 18 on commercial bulbs and the bulb and the shield are both steadied by this contact which is rm, due to the securing the Illember at its rear end directly to the base The means of securing the member is of a nature topermit its ready attachment or detachment and consists of the fingers 1 8 bent inwardly, then downwardly and then curved as at 19 to form fingers for snapping the member around the base 12. The center of the curved lingers is in line withthe center of the recess 17.

The fingers 19 are suiiicient alone to hold the member in place when the article is made yof spring material but when made of aluminum or the like for a light weight article with slight resiliency the fingers are re-inforced by a steel spring 20l bent to conform to the shape of the ngers and U.- shaped so that it is held on by its unturned ends 21 and is thereby held in place when the member is detached from the bulb.

The member is snapped into place on. the bulb and when in position the open end part 22 under the plate 16 allows the direct rays 23 from the lament to be directed down on the road immediately in front of the vehicle and illuminate this field which is extended forward by the reflection of the rays 15.

The member prevents any rays from'the filament from reaching the lower half of the reiiector and the glare from this part of the headlamp which would annoy any one approaching above the center line of the headlamp is prevented.

,While in the drawing the trough-like member is shown with the open part at the top, it will be evident that it can be shifted for special installations to shield any ield desired.

The member is usually Vformed from a single sheet of m'etal making a compact unitary structure so far as its main piece is concerned and the additional spring 20 when Vused is tightly snapped into position and it does not become detached or require separate handling under ordinary conditions.

I claim:

1. A shield for li ht bulbs comprising a sheet metal trough-li e member with a plate across the top at one end the plate having a recess at its bottom vedge to receive the top of the bulb, the member having spring fingers adapted to be snapped over the base,

of the bulb.

2. A shield for light bulbs comprising a single sheet of metal bent to form a troughlike member with a, plate-- across the top at one end and having fingers at the other end, said fingers being curved downwardly and FRANK V. HAYS, JR. 

